The invention relates to a lubrication system for leading a lubricant from a lubrication unit to a point to be lubricated, the lubrication unit and the point to be lubricated being movable with respect to each other, whereby the system comprises means for leading a quantity of the lubricant from the lubrication unit to the point to be lubricated.
This kind of lubrication systems is today well-known in various industrial fields. Lubrication systems are used in machines, vehicles or like devices, which go intermittently to a fixed or movable post for automatic lubrication. Devices lubricated in this way include the movable carriages of bridge cranes, the gear systems of steam sweepers, automatic guided vehicles, industrial trucks, etc.
In lubrication systems known from the prior art, the leading of a lubricant from a lubrication unit to a point to be lubricated has been realized by means of spiral-shaped or looplike hoses or tubes operating on the telescope principle. A drawback of the use of hoses is that they are difficult to position and that in certain cases they are unreasonably long and have a great demand for space, which makes use impossible if the device to be lubricated moves over long distances. Tubes operating on the telescope principle have similar drawbacks.
In another lubrication system known from the prior art, the movable part is provided with its own separate lubrication system. A drawback is, however, high cost, since each one of the movable parts has to be provided with a separate independent control unit, a lubricant container, etc.